1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile handset and, in particular, to a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) connection.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, a foldable type handset is composed of a main body including a printed circuit board (PCB) on which components for cooperatively driving a keypad, a microphone, and the handset are mounted, and a cover body including another PCB on which components for operating a speaker and display are mounted, the main body and cover body being pivotally connected by means of a hinge structure. The PCBs of the main body and the cover body are connected by a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) in order to accommodate the movement of the hinge structure.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional foldable type handset. As shown in FIG. 1, a first PCB 130 of a main body 100 and a second PCB 160 of a cover body 150 are connected to each other by means of a FPCB 200. The FPCB 200 penetrates a space formed inside of the hinge supports 113, and a hinge shaft 154 of the cover body 150 is rotatably interposed between the hinge supports 113.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the FPCB 200 of FIG. 1. The FPCB 200 comprises a main body connection part 201 which is plugged into the main body 100, a cover body connection part 202 which is plugged into the cover body 150, and a middle part 204 positioned between the main body connection part 201 and the cover body connection part 202 at a right angle so as to be parallel with the hinge shaft in order to minimize distortion of the FPCB when the hinge shaft rotates.
The FPCB 200 is provided with electrode pins 205 and 206 formed on respective ends of the main body connecting portion 201 and the cover connecting portion 202. The electrode pins 205 and 206 are inserted into slots formed on the first and second PCBs 130 and 160, respectively.
However, the FPCB as constructed in the foldable type handset described above has a drawback in that the middle part of the FPCB, which is positioned in the hinge mechanism, is likely to be damaged due to the twisting and bending stresses caused by the frequent pivoting motion of the cover body relative to the main body, resulting in a variation in resistance and shorting out the circuitry in the FPCB.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.